Brinker International Inc., Dallas, has put its Corner Bakery café chain on the auction block. With about 86 units, Corner Bakery is among the top 10 largest bakery café companies in the United States.
Most units are company-owned and operate as stand-alone restaurants as well as in shopping malls and other venues. Corner Bakery opened in 1991 as part of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises in Chicago as a complement to the Maggiano's Little Italy restaurant concept.
Brinker acquired Corner Bakery and Maggiano's in 1995 with plans to open about 20 Corner Bakeries annually. Bakery cafes are located in California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Bakery products are produced in central commissaries and delivered daily to each location. The cafes offer breads, muffins, pastries as well as sandwiches, salads, pizzas and pastas.